RCB Wins Qualifier 1, Advances to IPL Final Match
The stage is now set for the Qualifier 2 match, where Punjab Kings will face Mumbai Indians, and the winner will advance to the IPL final match against RCB, with the top players and teams competing for the championship title.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Qualifier 1 match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, chasing down a target of 101 runs in 10 overs and winning the match by 8 wickets.
Suyash Sharma was awarded the Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance, which was praised by RCB captain Virat Kohli. Phil Salt scored an unbeaten 42 off 22 balls, helping RCB secure a convincing win and momentum ahead of the final. The victory marked RCB's fourth instance of reaching the finals, and historically, the team winning Qualifier 1 has gone on to win the title in 11 of the 14 previous editions since the current playoffs system began in 2011.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the loss and vowed to work on their batting, particularly on the variable bounce of the wicket. The loss means that PBKS will face the winner of the Eliminator in the next match. In the IPL 2025 eliminator match, Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Titans by 20 runs, advancing to Qualifier 2. Rohit Sharma hit 81 off 50, the highest score by a Mumbai Indians batter in IPL playoffs, and became the 2nd batter to score 300 sixes and 2nd to cross 7000 runs in IPL.
The win for RCB and the progression of Mumbai Indians to Qualifier 2 sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the IPL 2025 season. With the Orange Cap list topped by Sai Sudharsan and the Purple Cap list led by Prasidh Krishna, the final matches promise to be thrilling encounters between the top teams and players.